Sunday, May 19, 2013

Hi there loves. I am sorry that this particular update is just now being made. It has taken me quite a while to process stuff and therefore, I have been fairly quiet on details...and I am sorry if you feel like I left you out of my loop...but it is mine after all and I am just now feeling like sharing it.

On March 18, 2013 at 7:31AM at 8lbs. 14 oz, 21.5 inches I gave birth to my IP's daughter (Baby J).

At some point, she had inhaled meconium, which is the very first bowel movement a baby has. She wasn't breathing and had to be resuscitated, and the lower portion of her lungs collapsed.

She was transferred to another hospital that had a NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).

Her lungs had healed and everything looked great, except she wasn't eating on her own. After two weeks on no improvement, they moved her to a different floor NICU where a new doctor observed her. This doctor suggested that the baby might have brain damage because she should have shown improvement by then, and she also had lower muscle tone than they would have liked to see.

They did an MRI and found that sweet Baby J does have brain damage.

They placed a G-tube (feeding tube) so she could go home with her parents. I send breast milk to her every Thursday and keep in touch with her Mama and Papa.

It has been determined that she can hear, see, and her muscle tone is getting better. Yesterday she drank 20.5 oz from a bottle, which is AMAZING! She is starting to smile and to mimic facial expressions...all of these things were things that we didn't know if she would be able to do..and she is doing them!!!!

No one, even now, knows how the brain damage will affect her life. The hope is that her brain will make new connections, as our amazing brains are capable of doing...and that is obviously happening!!! All in all, in my opinion, she is doing great and making HUGE progress and I can guarantee you that has so much to do with the LOVE & ENCOURAGEMENT coming from her amazing family!